lity was
the abolition of certain pagan festivals and of combats between gladiators
and wild beasts in the circus.

But in spite of the justness and efficiency of his administration the
reign of Anastasius was marked by several popular upheavals in
Constantinople, and in other cities of the empire as well. The cause lay
in his sympathy for the monophysite doctrine which was vigorously opposed
by the orthodox Christians. In 512 the appointment of a monophysite bishop
at Constantinople provoked a serious rebellion which almost cost
Anastasius his throne.

Although the emperor was able to quiet the city rabble by a display of
cool courage the prevailing religious discord encouraged Vitalian, the
commander of the Bulgarian _foederati_ in the Thracian army, to raise the
standard of revolt (514 A. D.). He defeated all forces sent against him
and endangered the safety of the capital. However, he was induced to
withdraw by a ransom of 5000 pounds of gold and the office of master of
the soldiers in Thrace. But the truce was only temporary, and in 515 he
again advanced on Constantinople. This time his forces met with a crushing
defeat on land and sea, and the rebellion came to an end. Three years
later Anastasius died.

[Illustration: The Roman Empire and the Germanic Kingdoms in 526
A. D.]

CHAPTER XXIV

THE AGE OF JUSTINIAN: 518-565 A. D.

I. THE GERMANIC KINGDOMS IN THE WEST TO 533 A. D.

*The Germans and the Romans.* The passing of Italy and the western
provinces under the sway of Germanic kings was accomplished, as we have
seen, by the settlement of large numbers of barbarians in the conquered
territories. This necessitated a division of the soil and a definition of
the status of the Romans with respect to the invaders, who were everywhere
less numerous than the native population. These questions were settled in
different ways in the several kingdoms.

*Under the Visigoths.* In the Visigothic kingdom in Gaul the Goths and the
Romans lived side by side as separate peoples, each enjoying its own laws,
and the Romans were not regarded as subjects having no rights against
their conquerors. However, intermarriage between the two races was
forbidden. The law which applied to the Romans was published by King
Alaric in 506 A. D., and is known as the _Lex Romana Visigothorum_, or the
Breviary of Alaric; his predecessor Euric had caused the compil